There are few names that are as synonymous with jazz as John Coltrane – and even though he died in 1967, he still has a few surprises for us.
A long lost Coltrane record has recently resurfaced and been prepared for release by Indulge! Records. The album, which is called “Both Directions at Once” will be published on June 29th.
The first track of the album, which is only called “Untitled Original 11383,” has already been released online.
The material for the album was all recorded in a single day back in March 1963. Coltrane’s backing band is made up of the same three musicians (Jimmy Garrison on bass, Elvin Jones on drums, and pianist McCoy Tyner) who helped produce some of the saxophonist’s most prominent work – such as “A Love Supreme.”
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In addition to recording six original songs, the album also contains a never-before-heard version of Nat King Cole’s “Nature Boy,” according to The Guardian.
After Coltrane finished recording the 7-song album 55 years ago, he entrusted a reference copy of the album to his first wife, Juanita Naima, despite their failing marriage. The two divorced in 1966, one year before Coltrane died, and the record remained in the hands of her family until they recently found it buried in storage.
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“In 1963, all these musicians are reaching some of the heights of their musical powers,” said John Coltrane’s son Ravi, a fellow saxophonist who also helped to prepare the album for release, according to The New York Times.
“On this record, you do get a sense of John with one foot in the past and one foot headed toward his future,” he added.
Sonny Rollins, another historically significant jazz saxophone, said that finding rediscovering the Coltrane record was “like finding a new room in the Great Pyramid”.
(LISTEN to the enchanting first track below)
Coltrane Still Reigns Supreme: Share The Exciting News With Your Friends – Photo by Gelderen, Hugo van / Anefo, CC